A display, such as a liquid crystal display, may be supported by a display support unit called, for example, a display stand or a display arm. The display support unit is disposed in an installation location, for example, on a desk, and is configured such that the orientation of the display can be changed in accordance with the position of the point of view of a user.
In order to achieve both a reduction in installation space and protection against forward falling arising from the weight of the display, the display support unit has a base, which is placed on, for example, a desk, having front extending part which is long and rear extending part which is short. Accordingly, in the case where the display is positioned in front of the display support unit, the display support unit can be protected from falling. If the display is moved to the rear of the display support unit, it is difficult to protect the display support unit from falling.
Newer display support units are therefore designed such that the display is positioned in front of the display support unit at all times by restricting the range of rotation of a column which supports the display.
The specific structure of a related-art display support unit will be described below.
The display support unit includes a base plate placed on, for example, a desk, a column supporting a display, a rotating plate connected to the lower end of the column, a restricting plate fixed to the lower surface of the rotating plate, a sliding plate, positioned between the base plate and the restricting plate, rotatably supporting the rotating plate, and a restricting pin fixed to the base plate such that the pin extends through a guide hole disposed in the restricting plate.
In the display support unit, when the column supporting the display is rotated, the rotating plate connected to the lower end of the column rotates together with the restricting plate fixed to the rotating plate. At this time, the restricting pin fixed to the base plate slides through the guide hole in the restricting plate in a direction in which the guide hole extends. When the rotating plate rotates by a predetermined angle, therefore, the restricting pin fixed to the base plate reaches one end of the guide hole in the restricting plate, so that the rotating plate is stopped from further rotating. With this structure, the related-art display support unit keeps the display from moving to the rear of the display support unit.
Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 8-320655 discloses an example of related art.
As discussed above, the related-art display support unit has to include special parts, e.g., the restricting plate and the restricting pin, for restricting the rotation range of the display. Disadvantageously, assembly of the display support unit is complicated.